Apparatus for removing paper insulation from wires



p 1954 c. H. GOODYEAR ETAL 2,688,332

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PAPER INSULATION FROM WIRES Filed April 2, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l lA/VE/VTORS C. H GOODYEAR E. J. G/PUEN ATmkA/EY Sept. 7, 1954 c. H. GOODYEAR EI'AL APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PAPER INSULATION FROM WIRES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1952 /NVEIV7OPS c. 41. GOODYEAR 5. J. mum W ATrO R/VEY olvlllvllfillllllIII!rvillrlvvarlflvlllllll .11.! I! \v Q R b l@ I. J. vm wv mv w wv Q an v 3 a L n I I I I l l l l I l n I Sept. 7, 1954 c. H. GOODYEAR ETAL 2,688,332

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PAPER INSULATION FROM WIRES Filed April 2, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fla .4

INVENTOPS C H. GOODYEAR 5 J GRUEN A T TO/QNEY Patented Sept. 7, 1954 REMOYI'NG PAPER FROM WIRES Gruii; Carteret,

and Ernest J.

N. J., assig'iiorsfto 'Western Electric Company, Incorporated. 'New Ydrk, N; L, a corporation of New York Allelic-shim April 1952, SerialNo. 280,134 5 Claims. (oi- 124 64) This invention relates to salvaging apparatus and more particularly to apparatus'for salvaging-wire and pulp from pul insulated wire;

In the manufacture of certain types of cables ro'r use in the telephone industries, the wires are covered with a pulp insulating niateriali When" the cables containing the insulated wires are reject'e'd for any reason, it is desirable to salvage the wires without causing damage thereto so that they may be re-insu late'd without reprocessi'ng the metal. I Further savings maybe eifected in this Operation if the pulp is'renidve d from the wire in such a manner that it can be collected easily and returned to the pulp preparation system to be used again to" insulate other Wlis.

The object ofthis invention is an'apparatus which is simple in s'tru'ctui and highly efficielit fo'r' salvaging the'wire and pulp" from a pulp insulated wire.

With this and other tioii comprises an apparatus wherein jets'of water under pressure are directed toward the insulated wireas it travels longitudinally in a iven path to soften the pulp and force it from" the wire. I

More specifically, the apparatus includes a water bath wherein the pulp may be softened on the'wire as th'e'wir'e is caused to travel about a series of guides in the bath; In another portion ofthe apparatus rollers support the" insulatedwire and direct it in a given path relative to a series of nozzles from which jets of water are directed to the wire under pressure to' force the insulation from the wire; A die eIementha'ving' anaperture larger than the wire and disposed concentric therewith is positioned relative to' nozzles directing jets of water throughthe aperture in directions opposing the direction of travel of-the wire to force any remaining" particlesof pulp from the wire;

The pulp, when first removed froi'nthe wire; is in-long stringy sections which must bedisintegrated beforethe pulp canb'e usedagain'." Suit-' able means, such as a perforated plateor a rn'ultiplicity of vertical wires, is therefore provided to intercept the stringy sections of pulp and re-' tain them'inthe paths of the jets un't'ilthey are broken up into pieces which can bereadily reprocessed. e

Other objects and advantageswill be'apparent from the following detailed descriptiori'wheh considered in conjunction with the accompany: in'g; drawings wherein: i F l is an isometrieviewef the apparatus;

objects in weenie invenof thie 'apparatus illustrating the doors permitlustrates grooved rollers merit of the'invention,

ting access into the interior thereof; I Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view'of the unit shown in Fig. 2, illustrating one species of the retaining means for the pulp; I I

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken along the line of 4-4 of Fig. 3; v

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the lineof 5-5 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed view illustrat ing the other species of retaining means.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Fig. 1 which illustrates an apparatus capable of processing two wires singly or simultaneously. The apparatus includes supports l0 for supply reels ll including the con-- ventional rotatable wire guides 12 and hired positioned guides 14. A suitable tank I 6 may be filled with water to a given level to serve as a bath for a pulp insulated wire 11. In the present embodiment of the invention, guide units indicated generally at It include frames I9 pivotally mounted at 2?) to the inside of the tank l6 and provided with series of grooved rollers 21 about which the wire I! may travel. One of the units is is shown in its upper position where it may be held by any suitable means not shown during the threading of the wire about the various after which the unit may be loweredto position all of the grooved rollers beneath the surface of the water in the tank.

The wire I? is threaded through unit 25' and onto a takeup reel 26. In the present emboditwo reels 26 are shown removably mounted on a shaft 2?, connected through a clutch 28 to a Speed reducing unit 29 which has its input shaft 3fldriven by a motor 31. Any suitable distributing mechanism may be employed to distribute the wire on either takeup reel 26.

Referring now to the unit 25, attention is first directed to Fig. 2 which illustrates top doors 33 and side doors3 i which may be opened for the threading of the wire through either side of the unit and for possible maintenance of the interior structure of the unit. The doors may be provided with suitable latches and also suitable sealing means if such is desired.

Attention is now directed to Fig. 3 which il- 36 and 31 for them; I! as it enters the unit 25 through an inlet 38; A series of grooved rollers" 40 are supported in a given plane to' hemes; k lated" wire in a given" path througHthe sulated wire Sets of nozzles 4| are disposed in parallel spaced positions to direct jets of water under pressure to the insulated wire ll. The nozzles are connected through valves 42 to a pipe line 43, the valves being adjustable at 44. The line 43 extends to a pump 46 as illustrated in Fig. l. The pump 46 is supplied with water from a supply line 41 and is driven by a motor 48.

The wire |1 after leaving the jets 4|, travels around grooved pulleys 50 and 5| to its respective takeup reel 26. A die element 52 shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is mounted so that its truncatedcone shaped aperture 53 will be disposed concentric with the path of the wire travelling between the groove rollers 50 and 5|. Nozzles 54, supported at 55 and connected through a flexible line 56 to the line 43 at 51, are disposed relative to each other and the element 52 to direct jets of water under pressure through the aperture guided by the contour of the aperture in directions opposing the direction of travel of the wire to remove any particle of pulp which might remain on the wire after leaving the jets from the nozzles 4|.

All of this mechanism is 65 of the unit 25, the doors 33 and 34 of which may be closed and latched to seal the chamber when the apparatus is in operation. The unit 25 has thus far been described as including one set of structures for processing one wire whereas the chamber 6|) in the present embodiment of the invention includes two sets of structures which are identical for processing two wires singly or simultaneously. The chamber 60, therefore, includes a central partition 6| dividing it in two equal parts open at 62 to a single drain 53 for the Water and pulp. The partition completes the sealing of one side of the chamber while the other side may be opened tothread another wire therethrough.

A receptacle B5 removably supported at 66 beneath the path of the wire includes a baffle 51 at one end thereof and an outlet 58 at the opposite end thereof. The species of the invention shown in Fig. 3 includes a retaining element l having a multiplicity of vertically extending wires H which function to retain the portions of pulp removed from the wire in the path of the jets of water from the nozzles 4| until these portions have been broken up sufficiently by the jets of water to escape from between the wires H and travel through the outlet &8.

The species of the invention shown in Fig. 6 includes a retaining element in the form of a plate l mounted above the outlet 68 and having a multiplicity of apertures 16 to retain the pulp removed from the wire in the path of the jets of water from the nozzles 4| until the pulp is broken up sufiiciently to pass through the apertures 16 to the outlet 68.

Considering now the operation of the apparatus, let it be assumed that a supply reel of pulp insulated wire is mounted on one of the supports Hi and threaded through the apparatus with its leading end connected to its respective takeup reel 26. To set the apparatus in operation after threading of the wire has been completed and the doors to the unit closed, the motors 3| and 48 are energized, causing longitudinal advancement of the wire and forcing water under pressure through the various nozzles. With the arrangement of guides in the unit I8, the wire will travel for considerable time about the successive grooved rollers in the water bath durhoused in a chamber 4 ing which time, the pulp will be softened. The wire then travels into and through the unit 25 where it is subjected to successive jets of water under pressure adapted to force the pulp insulation from the wire. As a rule, the insulation falls away in strips of varied lengths from the wire and drops in this form onto the retaining means 10 or 5. The retaining means will hold the pulp in the path of the jets of water until it is broken up into particles sufliciently small to escape between the wires H or through the apertures 16. If any portion of pulp should remain on the wire after passing. beyond the nozzles 4|, this portion of pulp will be subjected to the die element 52 and the jets of water from the nozzles 54. The jets of water from the nozzles 54 are directed in their individual paths opposing the direction of travel of the wire, forcing the particle of insulation to travel in one direction while the wire tends to pull it in the opposite direction to sever the insulation from the wire. Furthermore, the contour of the aperture 53 is such that in one instance it will increase the driving forces of the jets of water directing them inwardly toward the path of the wire and any insulation which might remain on the wire. Furthermore, the position of the nozzles and the contour of the aperture 53 will tend to cause a swirling action of the jets of water about the wire, this swirling action increasing in momentum through the aperture to assure removal of any particle of pulp from the wire.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for salvaging the wire and. pulp from pulp insulated wire comprising means to advance the insulated wire longitudinally in a given path, means to direct jets of water under pressure toward the path to remove the pulp from the wire, and means to retain the pulp in the path of the jets of water until the pulp is separated into small portions thereby.

2. An apparatus for salvaging the wire and pulp from pulp insulated wire comprising means to advance the insulated wire longitudinally in a given path, a water bath, means to cause the insulated wire to travel through the water bath to soften the pulp on the wire, and means to direct jets of water under pressure toward the path to remove the pulp from the wire.

3. An apparatus for salvaging the wire and pulp from pulp insulated wire comprising means to advance the insulated wire longitudinally in a given path, a water bath, a unit normally disposed in the bath having a series of guides for the wire to cause the wire to travel for a given period of time in the bath to soften the pulp on the wire and means to direct jets of water under pressure toward the path to remove the pulp from the wire.

4, An apparatus for salvaging the wire and pulp from pulp insulated wire comprising means to advance the insulated wire longitudinally in a given path, a water bath, a unit normally disposed in the bath having a series of guides for the wire to cause the wire to travel for a given period of time in the bath to soften the pulp on the wire, means to direct jets of water under pressure toward the path to remove the pulp the wire to cause the wire to travel for a given period of time in the bath to soften the pulp on the wire and means to direct water under pressure in a swirling path about and in engagement with the wire to remove the pulp from the wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,194,565 Moss Mar. 26, 1940 2,536,208 Nystrom Jan. 2, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,610 Great Britain May 9, 1905 

